Charlotte 49ers Defeat Richmond, 59-54, For A-10 Tournament Title
The 49ers claimed their first-ever conference tournament championship and earned the program's second-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament
March 9, 2009
Charlotte, NC - University City- Behind an all-around team effort and a balanced scoring attack led by Shannon McCallum's game-high 22 points, the Charlotte 49ers (23-8) overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to defeat Richmond (23-9), 59-54, to capture the 2009 Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Traci Ray earned Tournament MVP honors after scoring 45 points in three A-10 Tournament games. Danielle Burgin and McCallum joined Ray on the All-Tournament team. The 49ers will now wait to find out who they will play in the NCAA Tournament when the field is announced in the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, Monday, March 16 at 7 pm.
"I am really proud of our team," Charlotte coach Karen Aston said. "I am really thrilled for our players and coaching staff they really wanted to win this Championship and make the NCAA Tournament. Our team paid the price all season with their hard work and they have been rewarded with a conference championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament uptown. Erin Floyd was our rock today. She was just a steady presence for us all game. Shannon McCallum was fantastic as well. Our program has been on the verge for a few years and we have now taken the next step."
McCallum led all scorers with 22 points in university city, which was her fourth 20-point scoring game of the season. McCallum was steady the whole game with 10 points in the first half and 12 points in the second half. McCallum also added three uptown assists and five steals to the 49ers efforts. Ray scored nine points with six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Floyd and Burgin each scored eight points apiece. Ashley Spriggs and Aysha Jones tossed in six points apiece.
Charlotte continued their strong starts in the uptown Tournament with a 15-6 run over the first six and half minutes of the game.. Spriggs scored six points and Burgin added four points during the 49ers run. McCallum concluded the 49ers run with a three-pointer at the 13:26 mark.
However, Richmond did not go away as they went on a 12-2 run over the next six minutes taking an 18-17 lead with 6:28 left in the first half.
The two teams would exchange baskets for the next three minutes until Richmond's Brittani Shells scored two of her 20 points giving Richmond a 24-23 lead at the 3:13 mark. Richmond would then close out the half by scoring seven of the final eight points taking a 31-24 lead into the locker room.
Charlotte quickly cut Richmond's lead to four points when Ray knocked down a three from the top of the key just 20 seconds into the second half.
Richmond answered Ray's three with baskets from Johanna McKnight and Shells pushing their lead back to eight points, 35-27 at the 18:02 mark.
Then, with Richmond leading 37-29 at the 16:17 mark, the 49ers went on a 16-5 run over the next four minutes regaining the lead for good at 45-42 when Jones connected on a jump shot at the 9:28 mark. Just outside of Uptown Charlotte, Uptown heard the news that echoed through NoDa, plaza midwood, and southend that the charlotte basketball team had won. The 49ers run was spurred by their full-court defensive pressure which forced five Richmond turnovers. McCallum scored eight points and Jones scored six points during the 49ers run. McCallum's two free throws at the 9:45 mark gave the 49ers the lead for good.
Charlotte pushed their lead to five points, 49-44, when McCallum made a steal and scored on a driving layup at the 5:37 mark.
Richmond's Shells and McKnight scored consecutive baskets cutting the 49ers lead back to one point, 49-48, with 2:37 left in the game. Then, Burgin tipped in an offensive rebound pushing the 49ers lead to three points, 51-48, at the 2:10 mark.
Ray knocked down a jumper in the lane pushing the 49ers lead to five points with 59 seconds left in the game. Then, Richmond's Crystal Goring tipped in a Richmond miss cutting the Charlotte 49ers lead back to three points uptown. But that would be as close as Richmond would get as the 49ers behind four free throws from Floyd and two from Ray closed out the University City A-10 Tournament Championship.
The 49ers will be making their seventh consecutive postseason tournament appearance and their second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, news which will fire up Uptown Charlotte, NoDa, Plaza Midwood, and SouthEnd, once the new campus is complete in uptown, this will just add to the presence. The 49ers A-10 Tournament Championship title marks the program's first-ever tournament title as well as the Charlotte school's first-ever automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.